This invention relates a remote monitoring system for monitoring apparatus management information unique to individual electronic apparatus from another place. The present invention relates also to a remote monitoring method for electronic apparatus in a remote monitoring system. The present invention further relates to a low order monitoring apparatus which directly monitors electronic apparatus and a notification method of apparatus management information to a high order monitoring apparatus.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a high order monitoring apparatus which indirectly monitors electronic apparatus and a communication method of maintenance data to electronic apparatus. The present invention relates also to a program for implementing such low and high order monitoring apparatus as mentioned above and a recording medium on which the program is stored.
A monitoring system is currently demanded wherein electronic apparatus on hand can be maintained and operated efficiently. The present applicant discloses a monitoring system of the type, in the pamphlet of International Publication No. 03/038630.
The monitoring system is suitable to remotely monitor electronic apparatus which are normally connected to a wide area network. For example, the monitoring system is suitable to monitor editing machines or storage apparatus fixedly installed in a building. However, the monitoring technique which uses a wide area network cannot be applied to those electronic apparatus which are used in a form wherein they are disconnected from a wide area network.
It is to be noted that some of portable type electronic apparatus include a network connector. However, the connector is intended for connection of the electric apparatus to a local area network but not for connection to a wide area network. Actually, a particular technique for directly connecting an electronic apparatus of the type described to a wide area network has not been established as yet.